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Terrified families in a close-knit Sheffield suburb fear they could get caught in the crossfire as community leaders call for action after a spate of shootings by feuding criminal gangs.

Gun crime in Nether Edge has reached a “crisis point”, according to Common Ground Community Centre which is working with residents to raise residents’ concerns to police following two shootings last Friday.

Shots were fired in Machon Bank and Union Street in two separate shootings which took place within the space of 40 minutes.

One of the bullets was aimed towards the community centre which has become a hub for nearby residents and in a statement, the centre has shared a simple message from the community - “enough is enough”.

Another community campaigner from Nether Edge determined to tackle gang-related crimes in the city as a whole is mum-of-two Sahira Irshad, who founded Mums United.

The group, which has scores of members across the city, was formed in Sharrow by the 42-year-old and aims to tackle antisocial behaviour, knife crime and drug dealing.

Following a recent spike in violent crime in Sheffield, Ms Irshad is desperate to stop vulnerable children from being groomed by drug gangs who she believes are responsible for the recent shootings.

'Vulnerable kids are groomed into drug gangs'

Sahira Irshad founded Mums United in Sharrow

She said: “When you look at gang culture it’s very much a hierarchy so you have the elders supplying the drugs and then you have lower level drug dealers who are vulnerable and that is how they are groomed into this culture.

“When police say these incidents are targeted, I don’t think that’s the right response. These are isolated incidents but they are incidents which have been brewing and vulnerable young people acting as drug dealers are still being exploited.

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“The shootings and stabbings are all symptoms of a wider issue and the police need to look at their approach and really connect with these communities and build a trust with them.”

Ms Irshad said mums in Nether Edge are “scared” after last week’s shootings as they fear for “who will get caught in the crossfire” should more shootings happen.

One resident told the community centre: “I feel angry that these people have taken away my security and freedom.”

The centre claims the removal of a police camera in the midst of the lockdown has led to an increase in “intimidating” gangs in the area and although it was repositioned on Monday, members want to work with police and other authorities to reassure residents and tackle violent crime.

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'Our beautiful community will not be divided'

In a statement, the centre and Family Voice group said: “Local residents were shocked and scared for themselves and their children. More than 20 local residents spoke to Common Ground and Family Voice directly about ways of resolving these long running issues.

“People talked about the increased need for anonymous reporting of antisocial behaviour (ASB), strained police resources, how the community needs to get together and that ‘Enough is Enough’.

“On Tuesday, 18 people from local organisations attended the Abbeydale Stakeholders meeting with Inspector Fitzgibbons (South West Neighbourhood Team) and heard how detectives and pro-active teams were working hard on collating intelligence and, following a number of arrests, that more firearms and drugs had been seized over the weekend.

“They have also increased police presence in all the areas affected. Sharrow Community Forum and the Fire Service will be working together to increase reporting of ASB.

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"Family Voice are producing a multilingual social media flyer to help people know what they can do to help the situation. Common Ground are planning to extend CCTV coverage.

“Nether Edge, Abbeydale and Sharrow are beautiful, diverse and vibrant areas of the city with a strong sense of community.

“These events affect everyone across our community and we will not be divided but will come together and work hard to make sure we have a safe, welcoming and wonderful neighbourhood for everybody.”

'I can't back down'

Ms Irshad, who works with Common Ground and Family Voice, currently works with eight mentors who liaise with vulnerable children to lead them down an alternative crime-free path.

She is adamant that tackling the root cause of the problem and preventing more youngsters from being led astray is the way to stamp out the gangs and ultimately rid Sheffield of guns and knives.

“I can’t back down,” she said. “I’ve got a responsibility and I chose this avenue as Mums United that we have to have courage to speak out but where is our support?

“I always encourage people to talk and it’s not about snitching or being a grass - it’s about having the courage to find a way to connect with the young and get to the kids who are in the gangs and really start from the bottom.

“These kids won’t listen to me but they will listen to someone who has experienced that lifestyle and come out the other side.”

What South Yorkshire Police say

Last week four shootings in less than 24 hours in Sheffield sparked concern among residents with three of them happening in Sharrow and Nether Edge.

In response to them, police have urged people to work together and share any information with police which could help their investigations.

Inspector Colette Fitzgibbons from the Sheffield South West Neighbourhood Team said: “The incidents that happened last Friday have understandable caused anxiety for some people, we understand that entirely.

“These attacks are continuing to be treated as targeted and enquiries are ongoing.

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“People should be reassured that there is a large amount of police resources dedicated to patrols throughout Sharrow and Nether Edge and these will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

“Your local neighbourhood team, my team, are very much part of this. We have officers actively patrolling and speaking to our well-established community contacts from local organisations and charities.”

Sharrow Sergeant Dan Wilson added: “Sharrow and Nether Edge are very close-knit, passionate communities and I am heartened by people’s willingness to support each other and help us at this time. I appreciate that it’s not always easy to contact the police with information, but you do have options.

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“Any information you have could be important to the investigations into these recent incidents, however small you think it might be.

“To tackle issues around serious organised crime, it relies on the community coming forward with what they know, by doing this, you help protect your own streets and your own community. We are here to help you do that.”

Anyone with information about the shootings should call 101 or speak to the neighbourhood team directly by calling Insp Fitzgibbons on 07584617165 or emailing Sheffieldsouthwestnhp@southyorks.pnn.police.uk.